Metal Leaves Studio

The line wrapped around the block for Ann Arbor's bad boy gone good, Mayer Hawthorne. He slid through town during his Lonely Hearts Club tour. His live performance rivals his latest bedroom, er, studio release, 'A Strange Arrangement.' 

Hawthorne started out on the harder stuff- the Detroit hip-hop scene. Hitting places up as DJ Haircut, performing as part of the underground conglomerate, Now On! Eventually he followed the Yellow Brick Road to LA where he picked up a new style and a new name. Enter Mayer Hawthorne.
 
This pseudonym came from the artful way of blending your middle name with the street you grew up on.  We have all done it, but how many people do you know that could get away with using it to create a new image!  Not many.  
 
Hawthorne's music is great-  the videos [almost] better.  His latest, 'Green Eyed Love'  is filled with darkness, punctuated by shafts of light, with some taxidermy and pyschedelia thrown in to keep it interesting.  [Check out this dope! record]

What have we learned from this scenario?  Move to Tinsel Town, create your Stripper Name, record a gold* album in your bedroom using headphones [yes- I said headphones] while playing all the instruments for the music you composed. Finish up by crooning your heart out and having people like JT and John Mayer shout your praises from the rooftops.  [aka: twitter]

Follow these instructions, and you, too, can flourish as a sought-after artist.  Too much work, you say. You don't wanna! sing the lyrics you wrote while simultaneously playing all the instruments? Then leave it up to Hawthorne.  He's got it on lock.  Cop his album at your local record store- although, last time I was in Peoples Records,  I overheard they were sold out.  

Me?  Although his alter-ego has hit the big time, I prefer the slight edge of Haircut. I have my heart-shaped record, but I will be waiting for Haircut to reemerge.  That's just how I roll.  *wink*wink*